Washing-machine.



' I llllllill 4 No. 668,222. Patented Apr. 22, I902. B. POULSON.

WASHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 9, 1900.) model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

V m I [all i WITNESSES; 73 W 7% /,v VEN OF X ATTORNEY" Tn: owns "FTERS cu. PHc-Youwm WASHINGTON. 0. G I

'No. 698,222. 2 Patented Apr. 22, I902. B. PDULSDN. WASHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 9, 1900.)

2 Sheets$heoi 2.

model.)

INVENTOH WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY- m EYERS co, ma'roufum wuulnumn n c .NITED STATES i BRITTON P-OULSON, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

WASHING- SPECIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters MACHINE.

Patent No. 698,222, dated April 22, 1902.

Application filed November 9, 1900. Serial No, 35,911 (Model) T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BRITTON PouLson, a citizen of the United State's,'residing at Fort. Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in washing-machines in which an agitator within the suds vessel is given a reciprocal rotary movement; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide improved mechanism for reciprocally rotating the agitator-shaft; second, to provide improved means whereby the opening and closing of the lid carries with it the attached mechanism out of the way of the opening into the suds vessel, and, third, to provide an improved locking device for the lid; and the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accom-- panying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig; 3 is a side elevationtaken from the side opposite the one shownin Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a detail showing'a cover for the rack and its meshing pinion and a handle for the lid.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The suds vessel 5 (partly shown) is of any desired form and material for the purpose, preferably a tub. Its top 6 is provided with a central opening 8 for the insertion and removal of the clothes to be washed,which opening 8 is closed bya lid 9. On one side of the top 6 is secured a metallic frame or bracket 10, having a horizontal arm 11 attached, preferably integrally. On the outer end of this arm 11 is formed an axle or spindle 12, upon which a bevel-pinion 14 and a crank-wheel 16 rotate, the extended end of the hub of the bevel-pinion 14; being firmly attached to the crank-wheel 16, so that it is rotated by it, and such attachment is preferably integral. A bevel gear-wheel 17is mountedon a supporting-shaft 19, by which it is held rotatively in a bearing at the upper end of the bracket 10, so that it meshes with and is operated by the bevel-pinion 14. The preferable constructo provide a shaft 19, attached to and extend- .ing from the end of the hub 18 through the bearing 13, and securing it thereto by a split pin 20, such connection with the hub being integral. This bevel gear-wheel carries a pinion 22," whose diameteris half the diameter of the internal rack, described below, and which rotates on a stud 21, attached to the bevel-gear. A wrist 23 is attached to the rim of the pinion 22 on its pitch-line, and a connecting-rod 24 is pivoted'to said wrist and provided with a rack 25 at'its other end. A guide 26 for the rack 25 is secured to the lid 9. An internal rack 27is held in place with its axis or center coincident with the axis of the bevel gear-wheel 17 and meshes with said pinion 22 by a pivotal connection to the up per end of the bracket 10 by its attachment to a frame 28, secured to the lid 9. The preferable construction for these purposes is as follows: The frame 28 and the arms 29 and hub 30 of the internal rack 27 are made integrally or in one piece ofcasting, the base of the frame extendingover and secured. to the lid 9. The hub 30 is extended to pass through the bearing 13 at the upper end of the bracket 10, in which it has a reciprocal rotary motion when operated by the raising and lowering of the lid 9. The internal rack 27 is secured to its arms 29 by bolts or in I any other suitable manner. Its hub'30 is provided'with a central orifice to form a bearing for the extended shaft 19 of the bevel gear wheel to be held and rotated in. This construction provides a hinged connection of the lid 9 with the upper part of the bracket 10, so that when the lid is raised the hinge by which it is held is the pivoted connection of the internal rack 27 with the bearing 13 of the bracket, which rack 27 when partially rotated by the movement of the lid thereby retains its relative position to the other operating mechanism, so that it can be operated at any angle of the lid to the top of the suds vessel. The agitator-shaft 31 is mounted'vertieally in the lid 9 and is provided on its upper end with a pinion 32, meshing with the rack'25, and is connected at its lower end with an agitator 33, which may be of any form desired. The one shown is the common pin-wheel. Acover 34 is placed on the lid 9 over the rack and pinion for safety and to protect from dirt and other obstructions. A handle 35 for the lid is attached integrally to the end of this cover and to the lid at its farther end.

The locking device consists of a lockingpiece 36, having a handle 37, which operates also as a weight to throw it into engagement. It is pivoted to an ear etl on the bracket 10, and catches to engage it are attached to the internal gear-wheel. A shield to prevent the locking-piece from falling into or engaging the gearing consists of a curved plate 38,

secured to the arms 29 or rim of the internal rack 27, so that the end of the lockingpiece rests against it when the rack 27 is rotated by the opening and closing of the lid. The catches are preferably attached to or formed on this curved plate 38. The upper one 39 engages the locking-piece 36 when the lid 9 is thrown back out of the Way of the opening 8. The lower one 40 engages the lower part of the locking-piece 36 when the lid is closed. The engaging part of the locking-piece is thinner at its upper edge, so that the plane of the engaging part stands at a slight angle outwardly, and thereby operates as a cam against the lower catch 40. It will be seen that when the upper or thinner portion of the engaging part of the locking-piece engages the catch 40 that by pressing it farther down by the handle 37 the catch is thereby forced farther backward, throwing the arms 29 forward and forcing the lid closer upon the top of the suds vessel. It also, by reason of the connection of the hub 30 with the bracket 10, braces the bracket and frame 28 immovably to each other, thus giving more firmness to the supportingparts. A boss 4-2 on the locking-piece 36 engages the car 41 to retain it in position for engagement when not in operation.

The mode of operation is obvious from the description.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the suds vessel, a lid therefor, an agitator-shaf t mounted in said lid and provided with a pinion, a bracket attached to the top of the suds vessel, a frame pivoted to said bracket and attached to the lid to form a hinge therefor, and gearing carried by said frame for actuating the agitatorshaft.

2. The combination of the suds vessel, a lid therefor, an agitator-shat t mounted in said lid and provided with a pinion, a bracket attached to the top of the vessel, a frame pivoted to said bracket and attached to the lid to form a hinge therefor, and gearing carried by said frame for actuating the agitator-shaft, with a lockingpiece provided with a handle and pivoted to an ear on the bracket and having its engaging portion inclining upward and outward to form a cam, a curved plate attached to the rack to form a shield, catches formed on both ends of the plate adapted to engage the locking-piece, the lower one engaging first the upper part of said cam, and adapted to be forced backward by the operation of the cam.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BRIT"0N POULSON.

\Vitnesses:

H. C. HARTMAN, GEO. K. TORRENCE. 

